Rawhide

...thought some may find this interesting. While cleaning old files, I found this scan of a photo of my studio in Australia. I had a small farm in Bringelly on which there was a 36 x 36' barn which included six 12' x12' stables. I opened two stables and built this studio...putting in a floor, ceiling and lining the wall with ship-lapped pine. I put windows behind the top section of the stable doors and one in front of my workspace. I lined the outer walls with second-hand weathered timbers, including the door...from the outside it just looked like and old barn. Many people were shocked when seeing the inside for the first time. This barn was far from square, and, my ability to set the floor perfectly level, left a little to be desired. I started building my work tops and workbench in one corner...set a mark on the wall, and built out from with the use of a spirit level. All worked out well, and all benches were perfectly level. Some years later I opened the adjoining stable and added another space for a photo studio and darkroom. When I relocated this space in 1997, I had problems, for the 24 x 24 building was already perfectly level and square. I again had to start in one corner with a spirit level, and adjust leg heights and bench shapes to fit. Just a story... Peter

Tina. Right now I use fiebings dye reducer. It works well with other spirit dyes I've used.

I just can't do it...Nothing pains me like seeing/using round holes for sewing. I'm sure there are applications, but nothing looks as nice as using an awl in my opinion.

Is the reducer not the same as any other solvent reducer? I didn't get their brand...I do have another brand of reducer though...Do you use the neutral dye or the actual reducer?

Ok, You guys just made me spend some more money...I ordered about 6 or 7, 3oz bottles of dye from turtlefeathers... Tina, you did it again, I give up.

First thing, the second photo in the tutorial you posted shows the angle of the blade incorrectly...The flat of the blade, should be parallel with the edge of the project. Also, I don't create the knot inside of each hole until the last stitch. I think this is a useless step in each hole, because the next stitch will lock the previous stitch in place and it won't unravel even if the cord breaks. Otherwise these are fairly good instructions.

They key is absolute consistency. You have to do the exact same thing the exact same way each and every time, or the result will be different.. for instance if you stab a hole and put the left needle in first and the right needle behind the thread in the hole, then you have to do it that way throughout. My suggestion would be to start with Al Stohlman's, The Art of Handsewing Leather...Hands down the best instruction out there.

...just found this photo well hidden amongst many old files. And yes, this really did fall off the back of a truck, in 2003, after making it from San Francisco to Japan and finally to Australia where it was lost... I have not seen it since. I made this over a constructed pyramid made from heavy card...it is covered with goatskin in many parts. There are also many plugs beneath (flowers, small squares etc). The base also is heavy card covered with cowhide, with goatskin edges and corners. The 'bird of paradise' flower is made from very fine kangaroo with the stem being light timber dowel. It is all colored with spirit dyes, part brush and part airbrush. From memory this piece stood (and probably still stands...somewhere) about 36" high. Peter

Coming soon to a topic near you!!!

That's the way I took it..., I just replied that way for those who don't know him and also wonder why he doesn't post much... No offense taken at all...We're all friends here, right??

Peter sneaks in every so often and posts, but he posts on another list that I'm on as well and it's email based, so it's easier for him to post to multiple lists that way. I asked if he'd like for me to post his work here for him, and I do it out of courtesy... It's not that he's too good for us or anything like that. If you want to know something, just email him. He's very responsive and is usually glad to answer questions. He gets a ton of emails, so if you don't get an answer try again. He's usually fairly quick about replying. You can find his email on his website. Peter's website. He's really a great guy, so don't think that he's snubbing us. Marlon

You're welcome!

I've found some at Hobby Lobby as well.

Razz, Peter says: It took in excess of a day (meaning 24 hours) to complete...(if you speak of the light colored belt with many flowers). Peter

Hi Josh, It's just a simple whip stitch...Looks way more complicated doesn't it?

he did say he burnished a lot using a bone folder, but he also mentioned that he used an airbrush on some of the dying (i don't know which parts though).

Peter says: hhhmmm, ...."I'm glad he is not surprised'. Regards, Peter

The 54"er is the one with DG initials.

First photo ...the belt (1 3/8" wide) posted last week is now complete. It is colored with spirit dyes using a combination of brush and airbrush...the shading on the initials and scrolls on the inside is a all brush work. I has a filler inside to give a rounded look....looks far better than a 'flat' belt. Second photo ...CLOSE-UP OF LACING the kangaroo lacing is a simple whipstitch...it is 1/8" wide. I spit this to make it a uniform weight throughout, and also bevel to edges so it will sit flat. A lot of work (with a bone folder) goes into finishing the edges of these belts. The carving leather is (2.5mm) 6oz....the lining leather is (1.5) 4oz, and the filler is (1.2mm) 3oz. The filler has a bevel (to a feather edge) on both sides. Third photo ...54" WAIST...11 FEET OF LACING!!!!!

Tom, in the search box type this: +maker +stamp That will get you a bunch of maker stamp threads.

Hi Dan...What you can do is on the last stitch, pull a little tighter than you have been and tie the knot on the top as the Stohlman instructions show, this should make the cord lay a little flatter. then continue from one stitch back and continue stitching. Also, when your done, run your overstitch wheel back and forth with a little bit of pressure over the threads, this will even out small variations in the stitches.

The difference between them is simple. The twist is generally for use in a sewing machine. I think the left is for the spool, and the right is for the bobbin, however for hand sewing, I don't think it matters, some will say it does, but I haven't had a problem yet. One comment on this Hilly, is I prefer to wax my own thread, most prewaxed thread has WAY too much wax and requires an amount of "de-waxing". Plus, I'm going to start blending my beeswax with some rosin and the unwaxed thread will be easier to deal with cause I won't have to strip off their wax and putting my blend on.

John, I have not tried that...so I can't give you an educated comparison with the two...However, you will notice a difference in the threads, that you've been using and the linen...The linen doesn't stretch at all, so when you pull it tight, it won't get grayish on you like most of the tandy thread. It is more of a bone color, but looks white when stitching is complete. Since you've been paying 25 for the tandy, it might not hurt to try the hungarian once and if you like it stick with it, if you don't, buy something else. Good luck in your choices.

I don't know what size the Tandy thread is but I buy Barbour's Linen Flax cord from Campbell Bosworth. It's $47-ish for 1100 yards of #5 cord which works out to about 4 cents a yard. Right now you're paying about 16 cents a yard, that's 4 times the price!!! You would have to wax it yourself though, which I like, because it's not over waxed. Maybe someone else will chime in about the size comparison...

Thanks everyone, The colors are acrylics with some from Wal-mart, and some are the eco-flow line from Tandy and they are thinned down with water. I like the wal-mart brand best, they were easy to dilute and apply, the eco-flow had a hard time thinning. the paint seemed to separate when thinned. I'm buying walmart from now on...